Jefferson County, Ohio Genealogy
Guide to Jefferson County, Ohio ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, Secretary of State, and Vice President of the United States at the time of the County’s creation. It is located in the East-central area of the state.[3]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Jefferson County Courthouse
301 Market St
Steubenville, OH 43952
Phone: 740-283-8583
Jefferson County Website
Probate Judge has marriage, probate and naturalization records;
Clerk Court has divorce and court records from 1797;
County Recorder has land records from 1797;
Board of Health has birth and death records[4]
Jefferson County, Ohio Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1867 | 1803 | 1867 | 1797 | 1797 | 1798 | 1820 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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Populated Places[edit | edit source]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county: [8]
| Cities | ||
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| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
| Historic communities | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
For an extensive list of resources for Bible Records see Ohio Bible Records.
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1800 | 8,766 | — |
| 1810 | 17,260 | 96.9% |
| 1820 | 18,531 | 7.4% |
| 1830 | 22,489 | 21.4% |
| 1840 | 25,030 | 11.3% |
| 1850 | 29,133 | 16.4% |
| 1860 | 26,115 | −10.4% |
| 1870 | 29,188 | 11.8% |
| 1880 | 33,018 | 13.1% |
| 1890 | 39,415 | 19.4% |
| 1900 | 44,357 | 12.5% |
| 1910 | 65,423 | 47.5% |
| 1920 | 77,580 | 18.6% |
| 1930 | 88,307 | 13.8% |
| 1940 | 98,129 | 11.1% |
| 1950 | 96,495 | −1.7% |
| 1960 | 99,201 | 2.8% |
| 1970 | 96,193 | −3.0% |
| 1980 | 91,564 | −4.8% |
| 1990 | 80,298 | −12.3% |
| 2000 | 73,894 | −8.0% |
| 2010 | 69,709 | −5.7% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Ohio denominations, see Ohio Church Records.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
- Clarke Funeral Home, Toronto
- Everhart-Bove Funeral Home
- Shorac Funeral Homes
- Mosti Funeral Home
- J.E. Foster Funeral Homes
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
- Hanna, Charles Augustus, Ohio valley genealogies : relating chiefly to families in Harrison, Belmont and Jefferson counties, Ohio and Washington, Westmoreland and Fayette counties, Pennsylvania (New York, 1909) online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
- early to 1818 DiThomas, Mary E., Court appointed, and chosen guardians from Common Pleas Court journals, Jefferson County, Ohio, to 1818 FHL US/CAN Book 977.1 A1 no. 271.
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Ohio Land and Property for additional information about early Ohio land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.
Online Land Indexes and Records
- 1790-1907 Land Records at USGenWeb Ohio Archives - including Grantor and Grantee Indexes, and Deeds
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for this county. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see Ohio Local Histories.
- Doyle, Joseph B., 20th Century History of Steubenville and Jefferson County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, (Chicago, Illinois: Richmond-Arnold, 1910). Online at Google Books, FamilySearch Digital Library
- Andrews, J.H., Centennial Souvenir of Steubenville and Jefferson County, Ohio: 1797-1897, (Apollo, Pennsylvania: Closson Press, 2006) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive
- Caldwell, J.A., History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio: and incidentally historical collections pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley (Wheeling, West Virginia: Historical Pub. Co., 1880). Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Google Books, Hathitrust
- Caldwell, J.A., Index to J.A. Caldwell's History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, (Salt Lake City, 1975). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library
- Miligan, T.V., History of Jefferson County, Ohio: An Address Delivered at the Centennial Celebration on 4 July 1876, (Westerville, Ohio: F.J. Milligan, 1993). FHL book 977.1 A1
- Doyle, Joseph Beatty., 20th Century History of Steubenville and Jefferson County, Ohio and Representative Citizens. (Chicago, IL: Richmond-Arnold Publishing, 1910). Available online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
- Hunter, W.H., The Pathfinders of Jefferson County, Ohio, (Ohio: Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society, 1885). Online at Google Books FHL book 977.169 H2p - article in the Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society Magazine (click on the first link or go to page 95)
- Sinclair, Dohrman J., Pioneer Collection of Jefferson County, Ohio, (Stephens City, Virginia: Commercial Press, 1984). FHL book 977.169 H2si
- Sinclair, Mary Donaldson, Pioneer Days, (Steubenville, Ohio: M.D. Sinclair, 1962) online at FamilySearch Digital Library
- Atlas of Jefferson Co., Ohio, from actual surveys by and under the Direction of F.W. Beers. F.W. Beers & Co. (New York) 1871. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Ohio (1788-1940) at MapofUS.org
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Civil War
Civil War service men from Morgan County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Morgan County.
- - 98th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies A and D
World War I
- 1914-1918 Ohio, World War I, Enrollment Cards, 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
- 1914-1919 Ohio, World War I Statement of Service Cards, 1914-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
- 1916-1920 Ohio, WWI Index and Return Cards, 1916-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1800-1977 Ohio, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1977 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Jefferson County newspapers often contain genealogical value including obituaries, births, marriages, deaths, anniversaries, family gatherings, family travel, achievements, business notices, engagement information, and probate court proceedings.
- For more online Ohio newspapers index and images, see Ohio Newspapers.
- 1793-late 1900s Newspapers at Ohio History Connection — Select county.
- 1793-2009 Ohio Newspapers, 1793-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images, ($)
- Early-late 1900s Newspapers at Ohio Memory — sort by County, City, Time Period, and more.
- Newspaper Articles at USGenWeb Ohio Archives
- The Herald-Star, Steubenville
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
From 1797 or the creation of the county, probate records were held by the Court of Common Pleas. After 1852, records are held by the Jefferson County Probate Court. Records include wills, estates, guardianships, naturalizations, marriage, adoption, and birth and death records (1867-1908 only). The records may give the decedent's date of death, name of spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.
See Ohio Probate Records for information about how to use probate records.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1786-1998 Ohio Wills and Probate Records 1786-1998 at Ancestry ($) — index and images.
- 1789-1996 Ohio Probate Records 1789-1996 at FamilySearch.org — How to Use this Collection, index and images
- 1797-1947 Ohio, Jefferson County Court Records, 1797-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Ohio tax records complement land records and can be used in place of censuses before 1820 or to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned taxable property were listed, many residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties.
Online Tax Indexes and Records
- 1800-1850 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at MyHeritage ($) — index
- 1800-1850 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Marriages were usually recorded from the formation of the county and are held at the office of the County Probate Court. Divorce records are located with the county Clerk of Courts.
Any existing birth and death records from 1867 through December 19, 1908 are located at the County Probate Court. The Ohio Department of Health has birth records filed after December 20, 1908 and death records filed after January 1, 1954, while the Ohio History Connection houses death records from December 20, 1908 through December 31, 1953.
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1841-2003 Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
- 1908-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1998 at Ancestry ($) — Index
- 1959-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1959-1998 at MyHeritage - index ($)
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1789-2013 Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
- 1797-1901 Index of Marriages of Jefferson County at USGenWeb Sites Ohio
- 1800-1942 Ohio Marriages, 1800-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
- 1800-1958 Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
- 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1833-1967 Ohio, Church and Civil Deaths, 1833-1967 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1840-2001 Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
- 1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
- 1908-1932, 1938–1944, and 1958–2007 Ohio Death Index, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007 at FamilySearch – How to Use this Collection
- 1913-1944, 1954-1963 Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1962-2007 Ohio, Divorce Abstracts, 1962-1963, 1967-1971, 1973-2007 at Ancestry ($)
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Jefferson County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Ohio Archives and Libraries.
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- Wintersville Ohio Family History Center
- Public Library of Steubenville & Jefferson County - an affiliate library
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Jefferson County. For state-wide library facilities, see Ohio Archives and Libraries.
Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County
Main Library
407 South 4th Street
Steubenville, OH 43952
740-282-9782
Email: egrubbs@seolibraries.org
Website
Schiappa Branch-Ohio Room
4141 Mall Dr
Steubenville, OH 43952
740-264-6166
Email: egrubbs@seolibraries.org
Website
Museums[edit | edit source]
Jefferson County Historical Association
426 Franklin Ave
Steubenville, OH 4395
740-283-1133
Email: jcha4268@gmail.com
Website
Historic Fort Steuben
120 S 3rd St
Steubenville, OH 43952
740-283-1787
Email: info@oldfortsteuben.com
Website
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Jefferson County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Ohio Societies.
Jefferson County Chapter OGS
P O Box 2367
Wintersville, OH 43953
Physical Address:
501 Fifth Street
Stratton, OH 43961
740-346-2820
Facebook
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Local Gov't Records by County at Ohio History Connection — Browse their list; records are not online.
- Custom Browse of Historical Collections at Ohio Memory — Use map or alpha bar to select county or place, then browse search options in left sidebar.
- Ohio Genealogical Society ($) — online databases
- Jefferson County OH Genealogy at LDS Genealogy
- OHGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- Ohio USGenWeb Archives
- Ohio Historical Society - Jefferson county
- FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ ‘’Ohio Atlas of Historical County Boundaries;’’ Ohio: Individual County Chronologies; Copyright The Newberry Library 2007
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Ohio.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Jefferson County, Ohio Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ohio/jefferson/ accessed 2/17/2017.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Ohio.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Ohio.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Ohio.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ ‘’Ohio Atlas of Historical County Boundaries;’’ Ohio: Individual County Chronologies; Copyright The Newberry Library 2007
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Jefferson County, Ohio," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_County,_Ohio, accessed 20 December 2018.
